Children are being encouraged to put their best foot forward as part of Walk Safely to School Day Source: Supplied

LESS than half of Australian primary school children who live within 15 minutes of school now walk there - even though they'd like to.

Doting parents, convinced their children want to be driven, are instead taking them by car, according to a study by Deakin University.

But this Friday (May 20) will be different, as thousands of students use hoof power as part of Walk Safely to School Day.

The university’s Professor Boyd Swinburn said the initiative – now in its 12th year – was important given the obesity epidemic swamping Australian children.

“Most of the diseases in adulthood are related to lifestyle including lack of physical activity. So if we’re bringing up the next generation of children to be sedentary, then they become sedentary adults and that flows on to developing these chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes,” he said.

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“From the studies we’ve done at Deakin University, less than half of the primary school who children live within 15 minutes of school actually walk to school. Now when we ask the children how they prefer to get to school, 75 per cent of them say that they would prefer to get to school by walking.

"But when we ask the parents how they think the children prefer to get to school, much more of them think their children prefer to get dropped off by a car.”

He described National Walk Safely to School Day as “an important event”, and said it could change attitudes, school policies and the behaviour patterns of children.

“Walking regularly to school helps prevent obesity, but it also prevents other diseases later in life. It also increases quality of life for children and of course, reduces carbon emissions from fewer cars on the road.

“Whatever way you count it, there are plenty of benefits of active transport to and from school,” Prof Swinburn said.

Walk Safely to School Day promotes the message "active Kids are healthy kids" and asks parents to walk all or part of the way to school with their children to start healthy habits from a young age.

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Comments on this story

Mic of QLD Posted at 6:32 PM May 18, 2011

I drive my kids, because our council apparently has no funds to put a safer bike path in for kids to ride to the local school 2.5km away, we have two schools within 2km of each other and most of the kids are driven, walking is too dangerous these days, too many people wanting to take advantage. My kids will walk this Friday as I and many other parents will be walking from a safer point closer to school. But my kids will never walk or ride their bikes from our house to school along a main arterial road for as long as the council reckons access through this forest is just for Cars, trucks and tourist buses.

bigmaxy of Sydney Posted at 6:23 PM May 18, 2011

Why do words like "safely" need to be added to the title to satisfy/mitigate PC nutjob criticism ? What's wrong with just Walk to School Day ?

Justamum Posted at 6:22 PM May 18, 2011

I walk daily to school with my boys, not only does it give them a bit of extra exercise, but we have fantastic conversations. No interuptions. Brilliant!

“I SAT there one day reflecting on all the people I had screwed over in the pursuit of success.” This fed-up Aussie set of for life of travel, arriving in his latest destination with just $7 in his pocket.

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